Starting Over
by thestateless
Summary: (Modern AU) Masamune offers Yukimura a place to stay during one cold November night. Despite the fact that Yukimura is a relative stranger, Masamune finds himself wanting to get closer. Even when those feelings turn into something he's never felt before.
1. Chapter 1

I got the idea for this weird AU awhile back and needed to get it out of my head. This will eventually have enough slash to warrant the M rating. You have been warned!

* * *

If the guy living in the park wasn't so young, Masamune doubted he'd have ever noticed him in the first place.

Their eyes had never met though. Usually the guy in the park was busy looking around on the ground or worse, digging through the trash. Masamune usually saw him at night. His job prevented him from going home any earlier than seven or eight in the evening most of the time. By the time he got dinner and drove home, it was close to nine or ten.

Today again, he spotted the brunette man in the park. He wore a thin hoodie despite the encroaching chill. Most of November had been unseasonably warm, but the weather had suddenly taken a turn for the worse.

But that guy wasn't his problem.

Masamune took the stairs up to his apartment. The apartment manager always kept the building warmer than Masamune preferred and the heat smacked him in the face the second he opened the door to his room. He threw his jacket over the nearest chair and dropped the takeout Chinese food on the counter.

He stood in the center of living room with his arms crossed. He could either strip down to his underwear or crack open a few windows and piss off the landlord. Although he lived alone, Masamune opted for pissing off the landlord.

His living room overlooked the park. From three stories up, he had a great view of softly glowing streetlamps lining the walkways and how they lit up the bare trees. It was peaceful even if it wasn't the most beautiful time of the year.

Masamune stared out the window. He was dead tired. He barely had time for friends let alone women after he'd taken his new job. He wouldn't call himself lonely. He was just tired of being alone all the time. Eating all his meals alone. Watching TV alone.

He sighed. His breath hung in the air as a white cloud until the wind whisked it away.

Alright. He was lonely. But only a little.

Just as he was about to turn away, he spotted a dark figure walking along the tree line. Eventually the figure separated and in a brief moment the edge of the light illuminated the sullen face of the guy who lived in the park.

Masamune hadn't noticed before, but the guy looked terrible. Pale and sickly with a vacant gaze. Maybe he'd gotten into drugs?

As Masamune watched, the man stumbled towards a trash bin. He gripped the edge to keep his balance, but still barely managed to stay upright. The man bent his head, looked in the empty bin, then let out a moan. No, not a moan. More like a whimper. The man's grip gave way and he collapsed into a pile.

Masamune's eye grew wide. The man wasn't moving. It was freezing outside and that guy wasn't moving.

"Shit," Masamune said aloud. He grabbed his jacket and phone and sprinted out of his apartment.

"Hey! You OK?" Masamune called as he approached.

The man flinched at his words.

"Just dizzy," the man whispered into the ground.

"You take something? Or are you sick?"

The man finally looked up at Masamune. He had warm, brown eyes. "I'm fine. I haven't eaten much and I got dizzy. That's all." He pushed his hands against the pavement and struggled into a kneeling position, but didn't try to move beyond that. "I'll be fine," he repeated. "Thank you for your concern."

"Can you even stand up?" Masamune asked.

The man looked down. "I just need to rest for a moment." He squeezed his eyes shut and leaned back against the garbage bin.

"You're going to die if you don't get up and out of this cold. You got someplace you can go?"

"I've got a…campsite in the woods."

"That's it?" Masamune barked. He glared at the man on the ground.

The guy didn't reply. Didn't even raise his head. His shoulders slumped a fraction and a length, when it was clear Masamune wasn't going to leave without an answer, he said, "Yes. That's it."

Masamune sighed. "Come with me then."

The man jumped. "Uh. N-no, thank you."

Of course he'd be scared. Masamune wasn't even sure why he was thinking the thoughts that were in his head, but there was no stopping him now.

"Come on. I'm taking you back to my place."

The man looked on the verge of panicking. "No! I won't do things like that for money and I don't want to become a host and I don't want to borrow money either!"

Masamune gaped. "The hell kind of people have you been talking to?"

"People usually want something in return for their kindness and it's usually something I don't want to give," the man murmured.

"Fair enough," Masamune said. "But I'm just some wage slave that works a normal job, not some seedy yakuza punk. I don't want anything from you. I just don't want to watch some guy die in front of my apartment tonight so you want a warm place to sleep for free or not?"

After a moment's hesitation, the man nodded. Masamune helped him up and half walked, half carried him back to his apartment.

"So how long's it been since your last meal," Masamune asked.

The man furrowed his brow and thought for a few seconds. "Um. Three days or so."

Masamune grabbed the now cold Chinese takeout on the counter and dumped the contents on a plate. "Hurry up and wash your hands, I'll heat this up for you."

The man nodded and carefully made his way to the bathroom, gripping the wall to keep his balance.

Masamune threw the plate into the microwave and sighed for the second or third time that night. What the hell had he been thinking? Inviting a stranger into his house and giving him his dinner on top of it. Masamune took his phone out of his pocket and dialed a local pizza place. After he placed an order and hung up, he heard a voice behind him.

"I'm sorry. Did you have to order food because of me?"

Masamune looked behind him. "Yeah," he admitted. "But this ain't gonna fill you up if you haven't eaten in three days. We can split the pizza. It's fine." He waved at the man to sit at the small dining table and placed the warm plate in front of him.

"Thank you so much."

Masamune smiled. He liked how polite the guy was and how his eyes sparkled at even the smallest gestures of kindness. "It's nothing. So what's your name?"

"Oh! I'm sorry for not introducing myself sooner! I am Yukimura Sanada. It's very nice to meet you."

"Masamune Date."

Yukimura smiled broadly and it lit up his weary face. He had such a childlike innocence to him, despite the obvious hardships he'd endured. Masamune found it hard not to stare at him as he ate. Eventually he turned on the news for something to distract him.

"That was so delicious," Yukimura said when he'd finished.

Masamune nodded. "Yeah, the place I got it from is one of my favorites."

"I'm sorry once again for eating your dinner," Yukimura said seriously.

"You needed it more than me. Anyway, we've still got some time before the pizza gets here. You can take a bath if you're feeling up to it. I'll give you some of my old clothes to sleep in."

Yukimura blushed and looked down. "I feel fortunate to have met you, Mr. Date."

Masamune choked on his laughter. "We're around the same age. Don't call me Mr. anything, OK?"

With even more blushing, Yukimura agreed then headed into the bathroom.

Even after he was out of his sight, Masamune realized he couldn't stop grinning. It was weird. Especially for him.

Masamune dug through his closet until he found a shirt and pair of drawstring pants he'd been meaning to get rid of. He knocked on the bathroom door before opening it a crack. "Just sliding in your clothes. You doin' OK?"

"Yes. I'm feeling a little stronger now. Thank you," Yukimura replied.

Masamune clicked the door shut and went back to the TV. Bored with the news, he flipped channels until he found a station playing one of his favorite movies.

The pizza had just been delivered when Yukimura walked out of the bathroom.

"Your clothes fit me so well!"

They did. They really did fit him well. Yukimura was lifting up the corner of the shirt as he commented on the fit, revealing his surprisingly well toned stomach. It raised more questions than answers, but mostly, Masamune was impressed. A figure like that didn't come without a lot of hard work. What had Yukimura been doing before he started living in the park?

Yukimura joined him at the coffee table, his plate loaded up with several slices thanks to Masamune's encouragement. He plopped down next to Masamune.

"Oh! This is my favorite movie!" Yukimura said.

Masamune glanced at him. "Seriously? I thought I was the only person my age that liked these old samurai movies."

"Not at all! They are some of the best movies ever made! When I was a child, I would always watch them whenever I could. There was also this two player fighting game I loved back then too. It had many samurai characters so it was immediately one of my favorites."

"Wait, wait," Masamune said. He crawled over to the cabinet under his television and threw the small doors open. He dug through a pile of discs, until he found one with a bright red cover and held it up for Yukimura to see.

"That's it! I can't believe you have it!"

They stared at each other for a second, then both grinned madly. Without saying a word, Masamune dug out his old game system, plugged it into the TV and turned on his old favorite game.

"I haven't played this in years, but I'm going to beat you every round," Masamune said.

"My skills have not faded! I will be the victor!" Yukimura declared.

They spent the night trash talking each other as they played round after round. Neither man could wipe off their impish grins the entire time. Masamune couldn't remember the last time he'd stayed up playing video games with someone else. It was stupidly fun and he wanted the night to go on forever. Unfortunately, he knew it couldn't.

"Alright, I gotta get up early so I'm going to sleep," Masamune said at length. It was already past midnight.

"That sounds good. I think I'll sleep too," Yukimura replied.

"You can take the bed then. I'll take the couch," Masamune said.

"If you have work, then you should have the bed!"

"I'm fine on the couch."

"I simply cannot take the bed after all your kindness!"

"Alright, alright," Masamune relented. "Wanna sleep together then?" He said it was a coy smile and got exactly the result he'd been hoping for. Yukimura turned bright red and stammered out something about Masamune being shameless.

Masamune smiled and clapped a hand on Yukimura's shoulder. "It was a joke. My bed's big enough for the both of us but…"

"Really?" Yukimura interrupted with wide eyed surprise. "I've only ever seen small beds big enough for one person."

Masamune opened the door to his bedroom. "See for yourself."

Yukimura poked his head in and gasped. "It's huge!" He ran up to it and placed both hands firmly on it. "It's really soft too!"

The bed wasn't all that big, but seeing Yukimura's reaction was too much fun. "Well, get in then," Masamune said as he crawled in ahead of him.

"R-really?"

"I don't care, Sanada. Besides, I can't be bothered with finding enough blankets to make the couch comfortable enough to sleep on."

"I see," Yukimura replied. It sounded like he still didn't trust Masamune completely, but he climbed into the bed nonetheless. He sighed happily as he settled in. "It really is soft."

Masamune turned off the light to hide his smile. "Goodnight, Yukimura Sanada."

"Goodnight, Masamune Date. Please wake me when you get up. I will leave at the same time."

_That's a shame,_ thought Masamune as he drifted off to sleep. For some reason, he wanted Yukimura to stay. Maybe because they'd had so much fun earlier. It was so strange. There was just something about Yukimura and that made Masamune not only trust him, but like him.


	2. Chapter 2

Masamune's alarm woke him from a restless sleep. Yukimura had managed to roll into the middle of the bed shortly after he fell asleep and then proceeded to take up as much space as possible. Masamune had half a mind to push him out, but this was probably the first good night's rest Yukimura had gotten in a long time.

Yukimura squinted his eyes into the morning light. He looked momentarily confused until his eyes landed on Masamune.

"Good morning, Masamune!" he said with a big grin.

"Morning. Sleep well?"

"Yes! I feel very refreshed!"

"Great," Masamune said. "Want some breakfast?"

Judging by how much Yukimura's eyes lit up at the question, the answer was clear. Masamune actually enjoyed cooking quite a bit, but he hated cooking anything nice for just himself. It seemed like a waste not to share good food. It was nice to have someone to cook for. Even if it was only for one day.

"It's getting colder," Masamune said. They stood facing each other, unmoving by the path that led into the park.

"Yes, it is. I should probably get going. I will need to look for some provisions and I don't want you to be late for work."

Masamune nodded, said goodbye and made it all of three steps away before turning back around. "I'll probably get home around nine tonight," he said.

Yukimura paused. Realization slowly dawned on his face. "Oh! I'll look for you then! It'd be nice to talk to you more!"

With a smile and a wave, Masamune walked to his car. Yukimura always sounded so excited. He swore it must be infectious because his grey life had begun to feel a little sunnier since they'd met.

* * *

The sun had set hours ago. Sadly, it'd been another unproductive day. Yukimura had only managed to find more than a few stray coins on the streets. No food, no clothes, no blankets and to top it off, no one was looking for temporary workers for the day. Usually he could find a little something to do, but lately there'd been a dry spell.

Yukimura eagerly awaited Masamune's return. He lingered around the path where they'd seen each other off that morning, resisting the temptation to run down the sidewalk to Masamune's side once he spotted him in the distance.

"Hey," Masamune said as he approached. "You eat yet?" He held up the large brown bag.

"N-no, I haven't," Yukimura admitted. "But I couldn't possibly impose on you another night! I'm just happy to talk to you."

Masamune smirked. "Yeah? Well, I'm freezing out here so let's talk inside with a big plate of food in front of us."

Yukimura trailed sheepishly behind. He really did not want to be thought of as a burden, but it did seem like Masamune had bought extra food especially to share with him and it would probably be rude to turn him down. It was also very hard to ignore the growling in his stomach as Masamune served him a bowl a pasta.

"This is so good!" Yukimura said.

"Yep. I know all the good places in town. I got some groceries too so I can make us something better than an omelet and toast tomorrow morning."

"Huh? Tomorrow morning?" Yukimura said, stopping mid-bite.

Masamune narrowed his one eye at him. "I guess I could make it tonight if that doesn't fill you up."

"No! It's great! I mean, I just thought we'd talk for little while or something tonight. I wasn't planning on staying here again."

"What? You can't just sleep outside tonight. It's even colder than it was yesterday."

"I know that, but really Masamune, you've done so much for me already."

"You stayed over one night. That's nothing," Masamune replied.

"It's not nothing! That meant so much to me!"

"Then why not just stay another night?"

Yukimura couldn't believe Masamune's words. "I have nothing to repay your kindness with. I cannot in good conscious stay here and eat your food without paying you back," Yukimura said.

Masamune locked his eye on Yukimura. For a few intense seconds, he said nothing.

"Alright, how about this?" Masamune said at length. "You stay here and do the chores. Cooking, cleaning, laundry…everything. Then you can look for a job during the day while I'm at work."

"That…that doesn't seem fair…"

"It's totally fair," Masamune insisted. "Do you know how much maids cost?"

Yukimura did not know how much they cost, but apparently they were worth a lot.

"So?" Masamune asked again.

"I…" Yukimura hesitated. He bowed his head and rubbed his eyes until they stung, then buried his face in his hands.

"Hey. What's wrong?" Masamune said. He wrapped his fingers around Yukimura's hands and pried them away from his face.

"Sorry," Yukimura said. "I'm so happy I feel like I could cry."

The comment made Masamune smile and it made Yukimura's heart flutter. Masamune didn't seem like the type of person that smiled often. Every time Yukimura saw one flash across his lips, he felt like he'd seen something special. Soon, Yukimura was smiling too.

Masamune released his grip and settled back into his chair. He didn't ask any personal questions either. Yukimura liked that about him.

Yukimura would be happy to continue that way, but considering that they were now roommates, he felt like he owed Masamune some explanations. "I don't have any family left," Yukimura said.

Masamune's eyebrow raised slightly, but he stayed silent.

"I don't like talking about it…"

"Then don't," Masamune said.

Yukimura studied Masamune's face, but he was as expressionless as ever. "I thought I should tell you more about me if we are to live together," Yukimura explained.

Masamune shook his head. "I can tell you've been through a lot. You don't need to talk about it if you don't want to. Besides, you never bothered to ask about my eye either." Masamune pointed to the black eye patch resting over his right eye.

"Well, no. I didn't see any reason why I should ask," Yukimura said.

"Heh. You're one of the few." Masamune chuckled. "That's most people's first question when they meet me."

Yukimura balked. "That seems very rude."

"I guess I've met a lot of rude people then. But really, I think people are just naturally curious."

"Are you not curious about me?" Yukimura asked.

"I am," Masamune admitted. "But don't force yourself."

"I'd like to tell you eventually," Yukimura said.

"Sure. And when you do, I'll tell you about my eye."

"It's a deal," Yukimura said. Although he had trouble voicing why, Yukimura felt strongly that Masamune was someone he could trust. He wanted to tell Masamune about his last memories of his father, about his mentor, about his training, and about his dream.

One day.

Right now, the wounds of his past still felt fresh and Yukimura had no desire to reopen them just yet.

The next day began early. Yukimura surveyed the scattered cleaning supplies on the floor. Despite the fact that he was now technically employed as a maid, he wasn't sure what all these bottles did exactly. Masamune had pulled out all his cleaning supplies in the morning, left a note with the password for his computer, and then ran off to work without leaving any instructions.

Confused and alone in a quiet apartment, Yukimura decided to put on some music. He moved Masamune's laptop to the coffee table and logged in. It looked like Masamune rarely used the computer. There were almost no installed programs or files except for a massive music folder.

Yukimura scrolled through the folder but didn't recognize any of it. Mostly because he couldn't read it. The folder was filled English language music. That'd always been his weakest subject.

Sighing, Yukimura set the songs to shuffle. Even if he couldn't understand it, it was better than nothing.

A catchy beat came on. The bass reverberated through the room and a male voice sang a song in a language Yukimura could hardly understand. And yet, it was already brightening his mood. Yukimura grabbed a bottle of cleaning solution and got to work.

* * *

Masamune dragged his feet up the stairs to his apartment. It'd been another long day filled with pointless busywork. As he approached his apartment, he could hear music. He opened the door and stopped dead in his tracks.

Yukimura was on all fours facing away from Masamune as he scrubbed a corner of the kitchen floor. He was rhythmically swaying his hips to the loud music while trying to poorly sing along in English.

His pronunciation was so bad, Masamune almost begun to laugh. Instead, his eye locked onto Yukimura's hips wrapped in low slung pants, swinging back and forth. For a moment, Masamune thought of sliding his hands around Yukimura's waist and…

No. Now was not the time or the place and definitely not the guy he should be thinking of like that.

Masamune closed the door with enough force that Yukimura heard it over the music. He immediately sprang up and welcomed Masamune home.

"I made fried rice. I hope that's OK? I don't know how to make a lot of dishes, but I will try my best from here on out. I've already found some recipes online that I would like to try," Yukimura said.

"That's cool," Masamune said. "So you feeling better?"

"Yes and I'm sure I owe it all to you! I'll work hard to find a job so that I don't become a burden to you."

Masamune narrowed his eye. "You're not a burden. I've never seen this place so clean," he said. "Oh yeah. I got ya something today." Masamune pulled an outdated cell phone out of his pocket and handed it to Yukimura.

"What's this?"

"You can use it to call me if there's an emergency. It's just a cheap prepaid thing so don't waste minutes unless there's someone that should know you're OK," Masamune said.

Yukimura stared at him and then at the phone in his hands. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, but never managed to say anything.

"Even if you have no family, I bet you have friends that are worried about you," Masamune said.

Yukimura lowered his eyes. "I don't know," he said. "But thank you, Masamune. I'm not sure what I've done to deserve your kindness."

His words were sincere, but that only made Masamune feel guilty. He couldn't stop thinking about Yukimura on his hands and knees. It'd been a long time since another man had made Masamune think like that. Even then, it'd only been passing thoughts. Just flickering feelings in his past. He'd never acted on those urges. There was always something or someone else to distract him, so he had blissfully spent his life dating women and ignoring his feelings.

It'd been easy back then, but now he was living with Yukimura. Hell, he was sleeping right next to him.

That night was a long one spent curled up on the far side of the bed, facing away from his roommate. Masamune swore one thing to himself…that he'd buy a spare bed tomorrow.

* * *

_Author here! Thank you everyone that's reviewed so far. I hope you like this new chapter. I personally love seeing Masamune struggle. xD The next chapter will involve two new characters from the Basara universe whose first names start with M. And things will only get more awkward for poor Masamune._


	3. Chapter 3

Lately, Yukimura had been making lunch for Masamune. They weren't the prettiest looking things in the world, but they were good. Masamune couldn't complain about that. It was the annoying remarks from certain other people he couldn't stand.

"Come on, man. Just tell me what girl you've got so wrapped up in you that she's making you lunch."

Masamune glared over his meal. "I don't remember inviting you to sit over here and annoy the shit out of me."

"So she's hot?"

"She isn't a she. It's a guy and he's a friend. Got it, Motochika?" Masamune spat.

Motochika sighed. "Seriously? That's boring."

"That's why I told you to drop it."

"I was just worried that my best friend was hiding something from me," Motochika said dramatically.

How would Motochika react if he knew what Masamune had been struggling with? Masamune had known Motochika since high school. He liked to think Motochika would be understanding, but there was a fear dwelling in the corners of his thoughts that left him uneasy.

"Hey, wanna do something this weekend?" Masamune asked.

"Changing the subject? Yeah, sure. It's been awhile since we had time off," Motochika huffed.

"They came down on the engineering department too?"

Motochika grunted.

"Bastards overwork and underpay us for months, then all of a sudden they want us to take unpaid leave," Masamune said. "What the hell's going on here?"

"There's a rumor that the company is going to close. This is why I keep telling you to we should enact our plan," Motochika said.

"It's your plan and it's not happening."

Motochika laughed. "I'll wear you down one day."

"I'd like to see you try," Masamune said. He packed away his empty lunch box and stood up to leave.

"Hey, so who's staying with you anyway?" Motochika asked.

Masamune shrugged. "No one you know."

"Oh? Well bring 'em to the bar on Saturday. I'll try and find some other people to tag along. We can make it a big night out."

Masamune agreed to bring Yukimura along, but he couldn't imagine the guy ever going to a bar by himself. Something about the whole idea made Masamune uneasy.

Yukimura tipped his head to one side at the question. "To a bar? With your friends?"

"Yeah, but you don't have to come if you don't want to," Masamune said.

"It's OK! I'd love to meet your friends!"

* * *

Saturday rolled around and the uneasiness in Masamune's stomach only increased. Once he walked into the bar, he knew why. He plastered a smile on his face and strode over to the table, Yukimura in tow.

"Hey," Masamune said.

"Hi."

Her reply was as icy as Masamune had expected it to be. He glanced at Yukimura and was surprised to see him staring at her, looking flustered.

"She's Magoichi Saica and the other one eyed guy is Motochika Chosokabe," Masamune said to Yukimura. He slid into the booth, simultaneously smiling at everyone while glaring daggers straight at Motochika. If Motochika noticed, he didn't give it away.

"I am Yukimura Sanada. It's a pleasure to meet you both," Yukimura said.

Motochika stifled a laugh, earning another glare from Masamune.

"Nice to meet ya," Motochika said. He turned to Masamune. "Hey, so why don't you and Mags go up and get us some beer? I'll buy the first round." He pulled out his wallet and threw some cash on the table.

Masamune gritted his teeth, glanced up and saw Magoichi doing the same. She grabbed the money and stood up.

"Fine," she said.

"Sure," Masamune replied.

They walked to the bar in silence and placed their orders.

"How are you getting along?" Masamune asked at length. The silent treatment was getting old.

Magoichi clenched her fist. "I don't want to talk to you." She turned around and leaned against the bar with her arms folded across her chest.

"Come on, what's wrong with talking?"

"I'm not going to pretend to be your friend," Magoichi said. "And you know what happens when we talk to each other."

"I remember some fun things happening," Masamune teased.

Magoichi slammed her fist against the bar. "Shut your mouth."

The barkeep hesitantly set their beers on the counter, breaking the tension. They picked up the glasses and walked back to the table. Yukimura was sitting up straight while Motochika leaned over the table, his head resting in his hands and grinning like the devil he was.

"Quit annoying him," Masamune said as he shoved a beer into his friend's hand.

Motochika laughed. "We were just getting to know each other."

Yukimura nodded. "Motochika was saying that you three work together?"

"Yeah. I'm in finance, Motochika's engineering, and Magoichi's in sales," Masamune said.

"We all graduated at the same time and found some startup that was doing a ton of hiring," Motochika explained. "I'm still surprised we managed to stay together for so long."

"That sounds really nice," Yukimura said.

Magoichi looked away. "Something like that," she mumbled.

The conversation mostly consisted of Motochika wowing Yukimura with stories about his newest inventions.

"I'm getting another round," Magoichi announced dryly.

"I'll help this time," Yukimura said and followed her to the bar.

Motochika waited to speak until the pair were out of sight. "So when were you going to tell me that you're dating a guy?"

"What?" Masamune spat.

"Dude. He's wearing your clothes and from what he tells me, you've been sleeping in the same bed. Just admit it."

"You're wrong."

"He's literally in your pants!"

"Yeah, I heard you the first time," Masamune said. "Did you ask him why?"

"Do I have to? It's obvious what's going on!"

"No, it isn't. I'm just helping him out while he finds a job."

Motochika sighed. "At least I know why you were being evasive about him earlier."

"Are you even listening to me?" Masamune asked.

"Yeah, yeah." Motochika took a few swallows of his beer and set it down heavily on the table. "Alright. I'm going to tell you something I've never told anyone. You gotta promise me you'll never repeat what I'm about to say."

Masamune nodded then rested his head in his hand. At least Motochika was finally changing the topic.

Motochika shifted in his seat. "OK. Uh, you remember that skinny guy we went to school with? Mouri? Well, back in our freshman year there was this party at a frat house. It was huge and crazy and I got very, very drunk. My memory gets spotty from here, but I remember finding Mouri hiding in a bedroom upstairs. I heard his dad wanted him to join the frat, but since he hates people you can guess how that ended."

Motochika took another swig of his beer and took a deep breath in an out. "So I find him curled up in a corner, reading a book and I thought… Shit. I don't know what I thought or what we talked about. The next thing I remember is sitting next to him and then I…leaned over and ki…"

Masamune's eye went wide.

"…Yeah, that's about the same look he had on his face." Motochika sighed and dropped his head. "Then it hit me. I realized what I'd done and how he was reacting and I jumped up and ran out of the house so damn fast I ended up puking in an alley behind a mini-mart three blocks away."

Try as he might, Masamune couldn't stop himself from laughing.

Motochika finished off his beer in a couple gulps. "Ya know, I'm trying to be supportive."

"I don't remember asking you for that," Masamune said.

Motochika rolled his eye. "All I'm trying to say is that in a weird way, I get it. So just go for it. I won't think any differently of you. Besides, Yukimura's a good guy. The complete opposite of every girl you've ever dated." Motochika laughed. "Don't tell Magoichi I said that."

"Speaking of…where the hell's our beer?" Masamune scanned the crowd.

"I don't see them," Motochika said as he stood up to get a better view. "Seriously, they're not here." He glanced back at Masamune who swore a few times in English.

"Stay here. I'll find them," Masamune said. He sprang out of his chair and headed to the bar to double check.

Not there. They weren't in a booth or lingering around the bathrooms either. Masamune went outside, walked around the building and spotted them standing under a streetlight by the parking lot.

Yukimura had the sweetest smile on his face and Magoichi's hand was resting on his arm.

* * *

_A cliffhanger! I'm so sorry. I'll try not to leave you hanging for long. Once again, THANK YOU everyone that's left a comment. It always motivates me to write faster. :)_


	4. Chapter 4

_Hello. This is a friendly reminder that this fic is rated M. :) Enjoy!_

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Masamune strode over to the pair. They were completely absorbed in their conversation and didn't notice Masamune's rapid approach. Magoichi dropped her hand quickly, giving Masamune the opportunity to slink up beside her and throw his arm around her shoulders.

"Hey, guys. Not trying to sneak out are you?" Masamune said.

Magoichi gritted her teeth and yanked Masamune's arm off, digging her fingernails into his skin.

Masamune laughed. "Just being friendly. No need to get angry."

She crushed out a cigarette against the wooden light post, turned on her heels and walked back to the bar.

"I thought you quit smoking?" Masamune called after her.

"I did!" Magoichi screamed before disappearing through the entrance.

Masamune chuckled to himself, then turned back towards Yukimura.

"Miss Magoichi is very nice," Yukimura said.

How could so few words take all the air out of Masamune's lungs?

"And Mr. Chosokabe is very nice too. I really like your friends."

"What were you talking about?" Masamune said.

"Huh?" Yukimura said with a tip of his head. "Are you mad?"

"No."

"You sound mad."

"I'm not mad," Masamune barked.

"Then why are you yelling?"

"I'm not!" Masamune rubbed his head. Why did he always lose his cool around this guy? He sighed. He knew he shouldn't have even said anything. Should've just followed Magoichi back inside and pretended that he didn't feel like a mess.

"We were talking about you," Yukimura said. "She asked me how I knew you and I told her all that you've done for me. Then she kind of slapped my arm and wished me luck. I guess she was trying to cheer me up since I haven't found a job yet, even though it's been several weeks since I moved in with you."

Masamune blinked. "Oh," he said.

"She also kept saying that she quit smoking so it's OK for her to have a cigarette once in a while. I don't know what she meant by that."

"Alright," Masamune said. His head was spinning. All his anger had turned into relief in mere seconds. And now he was what? Relieved. Hopeful. Knowing Yukimura hadn't been trying to get with his ex-girlfriend meant he still had a chance. A chance he promised himself he'd never take. He turned in the direction of his car and staggered toward it. "I'll be back," he said with a wave over his shoulder.

After a couple seconds, he heard the sound of footsteps rushing up beside him.

"Are you OK?" Yukimura asked.

"Fine."

"Are you sure you're not drunk? You don't seem very steady on your feet."

"I'm not drunk," Masamune insisted as he crawled into the back seat of his car. "I just want to lie down for a minute." Just a few minutes of silence away from his angry ex, his bastard of a friend, and his strangely hot roommate was all he wanted. The night had barely begun and he already wanted it to end.

Yukimura poked his head into the car. "Are you sure you're OK?"

"Yeah, yeah." Masamune closed his eye. "It's cold," he mumbled.

"I'm sorry," Yukimura said.

Masamune opened his eye for a second and saw Yukimura still hovering around the open door. "Close the door and get in if you're so worried," Masamune sighed. He closed his eye again and heard the door click shut. For a second, he thought Yukimura had left. Then he felt the seat cushions depress and a familiar warmth brush against his skin.

Masamune looked up and saw Yukimura on his hands and knees, trying to squeeze into the space beside him.

"I don't think there's enough room," Yukimura said.

Masamune wrapped his arms around Yukimura's back and pulled him down. "Guess you'll just have to lay on top of me," he joked.

Yukimura flushed, but surprisingly, didn't resist. After a moment of hesitation, he relented and rested his head on Masamune's shoulder. "You're not mad at me?" he asked.

"No," Masamune said. He wondered why Yukimura listened to him so obediently, even when he was joking. Maybe he was just worried? Even though it surprised him when Yukimura crawled in, Masamune welcomed the sudden intrusion.

He played with a strand of Yukimura's hair, twining it around his fingers then smoothing it flat. Yukimura relaxed against him. Their bodies melded together and for the first time that evening, Masamune felt at peace. There was only silence and the rhythmic rise and fall of Yukimura's chest pressed against his own.

It was so warm. So perfectly warm. Masamune rested his hand on the small of Yukimura's back. He tipped his head towards Yukimura and noticed the smell of his own shampoo. It made him smile. They already shared everything. Maybe it was like Motochika said. Maybe it was OK to have these feelings?

Masamune's fingers absentmindedly traced the curve of Yukimura's spine as he mulled over his thoughts. Rubbing up and down. Up and down. Dragging his fingernails along until Yukimura gasped and twitched.

He glanced down and saw Yukimura looking up at him, bright red up to his ears.

"Sorry," Yukimura whimpered. "Sorry. It just felt…"

Masamune noticed, or more precisely, felt Yukimura's reaction pressing into his thigh. Masamune acted before he could think of what to say. He shifted his legs and hips and rubbed against Yukimura.

Yukimura moaned. "Masamune," he said. "P-please don't move like that."

"Did it hurt?" Masamune asked.

"No. It didn't."

Masamune lowered his gaze and locked eyes with Yukimura. "Then do you really want me to stop?"

Yukimura mouth hung open. "No," he eventually said. His voice was small and filled with both curiosity and concern. Something Masamune felt he could relate to.

Determined not to let this chance pass by, Masamune closed his eye and pressed his lips against Yukimura. It felt softer than he'd ever imagined it would. He kissed him again and again. Until Yukimura quit pursing his lips and loosened up. Until his lips parted and Masamune could slip his tongue in and taste him.

Yukimura sighed and trembled with every new touch and sensation that brought them closer. They were beyond roommates now. Beyond friendship. There was no going back.

Masamune dug his fingers into Yukimura's hips, arched his back and pushed his body up to meet Yukimura. He could feel Yukimura reacting to his intensity and soon he matched his movements, grinding back with equal need.

With a gasp, Yukimura broke their fiery kiss. He clawed at Masamune's shirt and filled the empty air with his moans. Masamune slowed just long enough to slide his hand between them and pulled at Yukimura's pants until they opened wide enough for him to squeeze his fingers in.

"Sanada," he growled into Yukimura's ear before nipping it.

Masamune worked his fingers in deeper until he grasped Yukimura's aching length. He traced the curves, felt the weight and thickness in his hands, and delighted in the way Yukimura writhed into his touch. What Yukimura was too breathless to say, he expressed with his body.

Masamune pumped his hand. Worked it hard and fast, wishing Yukimura's hands were on him too. He could wait though. Right now, watching Yukimura's expressions were enough.

Another few tugs and Yukimura's whole body shivered, filling Masamune's hand with warm liquid.

Masamune carefully slid his hand out and grabbed a packet of tissues that'd gotten wedged under the passenger seat. He quickly wiped off his hand. For a second, he wasn't sure what to say. The reality of what they'd done was setting in and he knew better than to push Yukimura too fast.

"Sanada? You alright?" Masamune asked.

Yukimura remained silently and firmly pressed against Masamune, his head buried in Masamune's neck.

"Sanada, look at me."

Finally, Yukimura pushed himself up. His face was beet red and his hair was even messier than usual. Masamune sat up, forcing Yukimura to quickly adjust his pants as he moved back to make room. He glanced around the car. "The windows are…" he murmured.

They were fogged up. Masamune chuckled.

"I don't see how it's funny," Yukimura pouted. "And I don't know how you can act so casually after doing something so shameful."

"Don't say that," Masamune said.

"What else can I say?" Yukimura said as he buried his head in his hands.

Masamune grabbed him by the shoulders. Yukimura's head shot up.

"I like you," Masamune said. "And I know you felt something too so don't you dare call what we did shameful."

It wasn't physically possible for Yukimura to turn any redder, but that didn't stop his body from trying. "I've never…" Yukimura began haltingly. "No one's ever liked me before."

Masamune knit his brow and dropped his hands. "You've never dated anyone before?"

"No. I've never done anything like that with anyone either," Yukimura admitted in a small voice.

"Shit." Masamune always assumed Yukimura was inexperienced, but he hadn't known just how inexperienced. "Not even a kiss?"

Yukimura shook his head and Masamune muttered another English curse. No wonder Yukimura was such a wreck right now. A whole flood of new experiences for him and not only had it been with another man, it'd been with his roommate and friend.

Former friend, most likely. Masamune sank back into the seat. Should he just set Yukimura up in a hotel for tonight? Before he could make his decision, Yukimura's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Is it pathetic?"

The question surprised Masamune. "It's not," he said. "It's unusual for someone our age, but not pathetic. If I'd known, I wouldn't have done anything."

"But you said you l-liked me," Yukimura said.

Masamune held out his hand. Yukimura stared at it for a few seconds before tentatively placing his hand in the outstretched palm. Masamune leaned over and brushed a kiss on Yukimura's fingers.

"If I'd known, I would've been more romantic," Masamune explained. He was pleasantly surprised when his comment earned him a shy smile. Yukimura was old-fashioned in every way, especially where love was concerned so it seemed.

"Alright," Masamune said declared. "Yukimura Sanada, let me take you out on a date tomorrow."

Yukimura squeezed Masamune's hand before letting go. "I'm sorry for saying, um, _it _was shameful. I am as much to blame for what happened. Maybe even wholly to blame." Yukimura hung his head for a second. "I wish to find out why I did such things. Please be patient with me."

"Is that a 'yes'?" Masamune said.

"Yes."

Masamune smiled. "Let's go home," he said.

"What about-?"

"Forget 'em," Masamune said. He was still pissed at Motochika for inviting the one woman in the world that hated him out tonight. He fished his phone out of his pocket and sent a text to Motochika.

"_we're leaving. pay our tabs. you owe me that much."_

Masamune received a reply almost immediately.

"_don't keep him up all night ;) ;) ;)"_


End file.
